With help from God, we can not only survive the trials in life but thrive!

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

A good-looking truck driver walked into the offices of Sun Records and the Memphis Recording Service on a Saturday night in the summer of 1953. He paid $3.98 + tax to make an acetate record for his mother’s birthday. Sam Phillips recorded Elvis singing “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin, ” and told his business partner Marion Kreisler something that made her write down “Good ballad singer. Hold” in her notes.

Elvis would leave Sun for the big leagues of RCA Records by the end of 1955. But Phillips secured his place in musical history, and made a tidy profit even if it wasn’t $1 billion.

That was the beginning of an amazing singing career. Elvis loved his mama and because he honored her, his life was blessed.

Elvis with his parents. Army induction. March 24, 1958

There are literally dozens of You Tube videos of Elvis songs and tributes. I invite you to visit You Tube today and listen to “That’s Alright Mama”. What if Elvis had not wanted to honor his mother and make that recording for her birthday? How different would his life had been?

What does the Bible tell us about honoring our father and mother? It’s FOR it! Pro-honor and pro-love of the parents:

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. – Deuteronomy 5:16

I think Elvis honored his mother in part because he felt bad about being the twin that survived. His twin, Jesse Garon died at birth and Elvis often wondered why he was spared. He never wanted to disappoint either of his parents, but particularly his mama.

The Bible instructs us to honor our parents. It does not say obey. We are to obey them when we are young, but when we are older we are to honor. This is a wonderful example of honor:

To honor is to respect with patience and as much love as possible. That is what makes our Lord smile and makes us good children. ❤